1 John 2:5
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In those who keep God's word, His love is brought to maturity, and this gives assurance of being in Him.
What Does 1 John 2:5 Mean?
Turning again to the bright side, John says that whoever keeps His word, in that person the love of God is truly perfected, brought to its intended fullness. And by this we know that we are in Him.
Obedience is not the enemy of love but its flowering. When we keep God's word, His love reaches its goal in us, shaping us into what He intends. This is how assurance grows: not by anxious self-examination alone but by a life increasingly conformed to God. To be in Him is to have His love maturing within, evident in the way we live.
In the Original Language
teleioo (τελειόω), 'to perfect' -- to bring to maturity or completion, here said of God's love in the obedient.